


Getting All Your Beetles in a Row

by WinterAndLittleBrunettes



Series: The Triforce [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-16 13:19:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16086908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterAndLittleBrunettes/pseuds/WinterAndLittleBrunettes
Summary: Before the Master Sword was pulled from the ground, the kingdom needed four Champions to pilot four mechanical wonders known as the Divine Beasts. This is the story of how the prince of Hyrule asked each of the Champions to meet the challenge.This is the prologue toThe Power of Faith, before Shiro, Hunk, Allura, and Pidge were tasked with the challenge of taming their Divine Beast.





	Getting All Your Beetles in a Row

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! So, as you've probably already guessed, each of these chapters is based off of the memories associated with the Champions Ballad DLC! I seriously pondered if I should ever add these to my series, as I was already adding what I consider the most important memory to PoF, but then I thought, _why not_? It's been a blast to write these, to write about these Champions before they were inaugurated in, and I do love each of these characters dearly  <3
> 
> Also, the name of this fic came to me in a dream. I woke up laughing because I thought of it, told a friend about the title I [ _jokingly_ ] came up with, and they told me it fit perfectly. So, the name stuck and I can honestly say that I don't regret naming it 'Beetles' at all!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance tracks down Rito warrior Shiro and enlists him to pilot the Divine Beast Vah Medoh. During their encounter, he witnesses an impressive display of his archery skills, as well as the hidden side of his personality that makes it all possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, everyone!!! This chapter in particular has been in the works, for... Oh gosh, probably ten months?? Once every month or so I'd get a touch more work done on it, and for about half a year I kept telling everyone I would post it before the next chapter of PoF, but... That just never happened!!
> 
> But, it's finally here! And I _do_ plan to keep my word on updating Beetles and PoF alternately, but we'll see how long that lasts.

# 1\. Champion Shiro's Song

 

The air in Tabantha was easier to breathe than the air in Hyrule Field.

 

The air was always cool here, but even in the cool crispness of it, it seemed easier to breathe out here. Lance closed his eyes and breathed in a deep breath of the sharp pine and cool air around him, holding it in for a moment before breathing out with a pleasant sigh.

 

It’d been too long since he was last in the Tabantha region. He missed the crispness of the air, the rich smell of the forest decay, and the borderline frigid wind blowing in his face. He never got such satisfying scents together anywhere else in Hyrule, outside of the area around Rito Village.

 

He glanced back at the two knights riding along behind him. Ladnok, the elder of the two, had been appointed to Lance’s protection at his birth, and specialized with a spear, while Lubos was a more recent addition. He’d still been in Lance’s protection for some time, but he was enjoying the perks, or, the _food_ , that came with being in the prince’s service. Since Lance did not travel very often outside of the Castle for long periods of time, that usually meant his personal guard could relax more than others.

 

Lance shook his head, and looked forwards between Seraphim’s ears again.

 

They were almost to Rito Village. As Seraphim broke into an easy trot down the steep incline, Lance let himself gaze upon the magnificence that was Rito Village. The tall spires of land towering up from the surface of Lake Totori were beautiful, covered in lush greens and tall trees, and the bridges connecting them were sturdy in the bitter wind. The largest and tallest of the islands was where the village sat, and was their destination.

 

As soon as they approached the stable located just by the first bridge leading to the village, Lance dismounted and patted Seraphim’s shoulder. He heard his entourage do the same, but did not check back on them. He knew at least one of them would follow.

 

He took his time walking up the sturdy wooden bridges leading up to the massive pillar like structures that the village sat on. Lance knew that the entire village would be expecting him, and wanted to delay as long as possible before being bombarded by the Rito.

 

One of the Rito knights patrolling the bridges stuttered to a halt as soon as he saw Lance and his following knight behind him. “Y-your highness!” he exclaimed, and immediately dropped his feathered head into a clumsy bow. “I didn’t-- I mean, _we_ didn’t realize you’d be here today--”

 

“No worries, dear friend.” Lance interrupted softly, and offered the poor flustered knight a brief smile. “We did not announce our arrival.” he paused, narrowing his eyes slightly at the avian. “I’m sorry, have we met before?”

 

The Rito soldier straightened up, and hit his spear against the wood of the bridge once, in a salute. “No, your highness, I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure. My name is Aika, sir.”

 

Lance gave him a small smile. “Nice to meet you then, Aika. I was hoping to speak to Shiro, if he’s available?”

 

“Of course!” Aika straightened up, and pointed back towards the highest building on the pillar holding the village in the air. “You should find Master Shiro in his house, at the top. But, if he’s not there, I’d ask around for his nephew, Korbin. Korbin will know where he is, otherwise.”

 

“Thank you kindly.” Lance said, and made his way past him to carry on to the village.

 

Lance paused at the base of the stairs leading up to the first platform. There were a _lot_ of stairs leading to the top of the village…

 

How did the Rito climb this, day in and day out?

 

Ah, yes. _Wings_. Oh, Lance wished he had wings in that moment, to make the ascent up the trail of steps that much easier.

 

With a soft groan, Lance started up the miles of stairs leading for the top.

 

Many of the Rito paused whatever they were doing to smile and wave at Lance and his shadow as they made their way up to Shiro’s home, and Lance did his best to smile back, even though he was trying to hide how winded he was. _Goddesses_ , why were there so many damn stairs?

 

About halfway up, a small voice called out to him. “Your highness?” A Rito child, coming up only to Lance’s hip, walked over from of a platform off to the side of the miles of stairs.

 

Lance paused, and turned to face the child. The child was of a rich blue colour with some purple and white feathers on top of his head, with a pair of bright green eyes. He was wearing a green and pink tunic, and somehow, the clashing colours just worked on the little bird. “Yes?” Lance asked.

 

“Are you looking for my uncle?” he questioned. “I-I mean, Master Shiro.” he quickly corrected.

 

“I am! Are you…” Lance racked his brain for the name he was told earlier, “Korbin?”

 

Korbin dropped his head in a brief bow. “Yes, your highness.”

 

With a smile, Lance stepped over and crouched down in front of the child. “Do you know where your uncle is?”

 

Korbin nodded, and turned, motioning for Lance to follow him out onto the platform. As soon as he approached the edge of it, he stopped, and pointed out to the snowy region to the north of the village. “If you follow the path behind the stable around Lake Totori, you’ll find my uncle out at the Flight Range, practicing.”

 

 _Of course_ , Lance thought to himself bitterly. He’d climbed all those stairs for nothing. “Alright, thank you, Korbin.” he glanced back at Lubos, who’d been following him at a much slower pace. “I hope you have a good day.” he said back over his shoulder.

 

“Your highness?” Korbin called out.

 

Lance whirled around to face him. As Korbin bounced over to him, he knelt down so he was at eye level with the Rito child.

 

He rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment, before blurting out, “I like your tunic.”

 

Lance was shocked by his confession. He honestly had no idea the little bird had noticed something like his shirt. A soft laugh escaped his lips before he could stop it. He lifted a hand to hide his lips, hiding his smile. “Why, thank you Korbin.” he said softly. “I quite like your tunic as well.”

 

Korbin’s smile practically radiated sunshine, and Lance couldn’t help but smile back at him.

 

He ruffled the feathers on top of Korbin’s head playfully, before standing up and pressing his shoulders back again. He turned and made his way over to the stairs, intercepting Lubos before he could reach the top. “It appears Shiro is not in Rito Village.” he explained, and cut around the knight to carry on down the stairs. “We’ll head back to the stables and ride out to the Flight Range.”

 

“The Flight Range, your highness?” Lubos wheezed, and slowly turned to follow. “Isn’t that a good distance away?”

 

“Not as far as you’d think. Now c’mon!” he exclaimed, and glanced back up at Lubos with a slight smirk. “We might get you to lose some weight along the way.”

 

Lubos groaned softly, and Lance fought to keep his giggles under control. It was just too fun to tease the large knight.

 

The descent down the stairs took a lot less time than the ascent up them, and they quickly found themselves at the front of the stable. Ladnok was still untacking Seraphim when they arrived, and she appeared shocked to see them back so soon.

 

“Sorry, Ladnok, but, we need to keep moving. Shiro wasn’t in the village, so, we’re riding out for the Flight Range to speak with him.”

 

“No worries, your highness.” she quickly assured, and threw Seraphim’s saddle up and onto his back again. “We’ll make our way north as soon as the horses are tacked up again, and you’re bundled up for the cold.”

 

“Ah, yes. Nearly forgot about the cold.” Lance agreed, and stepped up to Seraphim’s saddle bags to grab his warmer gear.

 

Lance hadn’t been _planning_ on needing his arctic weather gear, but now he was happy he had it. Just north of Rito Village was where things got frigid _quickly_ , and the Flight Range would be no exception, with all the wind blowing through the grounds. He quickly slid on his warm feather coat, but didn’t do it up just yet. He had pants to match the set, but his warm leather boots went up to his knees, so he decided to skip the warmer trousers. His travelling trousers would simply have to do.

 

As soon as he mounted up, his two guards followed suit, and they set off for the Flight Range.

 

The Flight Range, Lance knew, was tucked into an alcove directly north of Rito Village, in one of the coldest regions in Hyrule. It, apparently, quite often snowed there, nearly a never ending snowfall. But the Flight Range was special. Apparently it’s constantly generating upward drafts aided Rito to practice archery from the air. Supposedly, when Revali trained there ten thousand years ago, in mastering his gift with an upward draft, his constant efforts gave the Flight Range the upward drafts still found there today. And, as Revali’s direct descendant, Shiro most likely also had the gift that came to be known as Revali’s Gale.

 

It was why Lance was here in the first place, to see if Shiro, leader of the Rito tribe, was equipped to take on the challenge of taming a Divine Beast.

 

The grass was long and luscious as they ambled along towards the Flight Range. It appeared so wild and untamed, compared to the well-trodden paths of Hyrule Field. The trees here seemed to touch the sky, growing as tall as the rocky cliffs they stood beside. Some of their roots even started winding up the incline.

 

The forested area around Lake Totori on their way around the islands was quietly busy. There were a bunch of mountain deer grazing off to the side, beneath a large canopy of pine trees, and bushy-tailed squirrels rushed around gathering their food for the day. The area didn’t truly feel like a forest, however, with the steep rocky walls encasing the area from the rest of the world.

 

Lance thought it was all too easy to think he was in another world while riding through the area.

 

There were some ancient columns from buildings long destroyed along the sides of the path, some still standing tall and proud, while others leaned sideways, or even toppled to the ground long ago. Winding ivy curled its way up the base of the pillars, masking the white marble in green. Lance also knew there were ancient ruined buildings scattered around the area, almost completely blending in with nature due to their state.

 

The company rode in silence for most of the way, while Lance rehearsed in his head how he would ask Shiro. Master Shiro, the leader of the Rito tribe, would obviously have some reservations about taking on a role as Champion, which would put his own life in danger, along with the wellbeing of his people. But Lance needed to convince Shiro to place all his faith in him, and their plan. Shiro _must_ agree to take part in this plan. For Lance’s sake, if nothing else.

 

The plan hinged on having four skilled pilots, one for each of the massive Divine Beasts. If Shiro agreed, he would be the pilot of Divine Beast Vah Medoh, the massive bird weapon. His support would be instrumental in keeping the Calamity off of the chosen Hylian Champion, whenever he came into the picture. The support of Revali, Champion of the Rito had been instrumental when the Calamity struck last, so, having his direct descendant now would be just as vital.

 

He hoped Shiro understood, and agreed.

 

Lance breathed in a deep shaky breath, and closed his eyes, letting Seraphim follow the path ahead of them for a moment. If the Calamity returned, Hyrule would most certainly be doomed. But, with four Champions piloting the magnificent Divine Beasts, they might have a chance. But, that chance still depended on Lance, and if he could get his sealing powers mastered before the Calamity struck.

 

Apparently, ten thousand years ago, that battle’s princess used her sacred sealing powers to seal away the Calamity once the hero, and the Champions piloting the Divine Beasts weakened it. If Lance could get Shiro, Hunk, Allura, and Pidge to agree to pilot Divine Beasts, half of the battle would be assured.

 

Then, all that would be left is finding the man bearing the soul of the hero, and for Lance to harness his cursed sealing powers.

 

But, it all started with Shiro’s willingness to pilot Divine Beast Vah Medoh.

 

Lance was still considering how he’d manage _that_ , exactly, when they approached the entrance to the Flight Range.

 

The Flight Range was a naturally enclosed area, hidden on all sides except the entrance by steep rock walls and eternal snowfall. There were two large flags, old and of an unknown make to the east of the entrance, showing where it was hidden. The few trees in the field before the Flight Range were bare, stripped in the icy winds.

 

The skyward winds from the training grounds could be heard even before reaching the entrance.

 

There was a small hut, raised from the ground to the east of the naturally enclosed space. It was the first thing Lance saw as they walked up the incline. It appeared to be only big enough to fit a few bodies around a fire, with a ramp off to the side that ended overtop of the cliff, where some of the winds were strongest.

 

When they finally reached the top, levelling out with the rest of the trainings grounds, Lance spotted him.

 

Shiro was crouched near the edge of a portion of the cliff, breathing heavily. His large Great Eagle bow was strapped to his back, moving with every deep breath the Rito heaved in. White puffs of air were forming in front of Shiro’s grey beak, and his purple scarf was waving lightly in the breeze. He looked exhausted, if the set of his shoulders were anything to go by, but his stance was determined.

 

He crouched a little further down, his black wings extended out sideways, and suddenly a funnel of air formed above and around him. He breathed in a deep breath, holding his stance, before launching up high into the air.

 

Lance leaned back in the saddle, watching as Shiro ascended high up into the air with shocked awe. He had _no idea_ something like this was possible. Very few Rito have _ever_ been able to create their own updrafts. And here Shiro was, one of the youngest accomplished Rito masters in history, seeming to have mastered Revali’s Gale.

 

Once he reached the top of the updraft, he hovered for a moment, before closing his wings and letting his body drop quickly to the ground. Just before he met the ground, he opened his wings, and landed lightly on his taloned feet.

 

He crouched down again, but kept his wings close to his body, and looked at the rocky ground in front of him thoughtfully. “Not enough…” he said to himself. “I’ve got to go higher, and push myself harder…”

 

Ladnok’s horse snorted, and Shiro whipped around towards the noise, his bow drawn faster than Lance could blink. As soon as Shiro saw who it was, he lowered his bow with a shocked expression. “Your highness!” He exclaimed.

 

Lance swiftly dismounted and gave him a smile. He heard one of his knights walk up behind him and grab Seraphim’s reins, but he didn’t look back to see who. He took a few steps towards Shiro, waiting for him to put his bow away.

 

Shiro stood up slowly, as if moving too fast would pain him. “I had no idea you’d be stopping by today.” He said with a soft grunt, and rubbed at his upper arm, where some old scars stood out starkly against his black feathers.

 

“My apologies.” Lance dipped his head slightly. “I went to the village, but your nephew said to find you here.”

 

Shiro fiddled with his scarf for a moment, before standing up straight and looking Lance in the eye. “You have need of me.” He stated, as though he already knew the answer. “To defeat the Calamity.”

 

Lance gave a simple nod.

 

“To help slay the beast once and for all… It would be my great pleasure.” He said determinedly.

 

Lance couldn’t fight his smile even if he tried. _Oh, thank goddesses, I didn’t have to convince him!_ “Thank you, Shiro.” He said thankfully, and linked his hands together in front of him. “If we work together, I’m sure we’ll be able to defeat—”

 

“So, what is the plan?” Shiro interrupted, not unkindly. “We **do** have a plan, right?”

 

Lance blinked, stunned for a moment. He had no idea Shiro would move straight to business so quickly. “Yes, we have a plan.” He assured. “We plan to follow the path of the legend from ten thousand years ago. Are you familiar with it?”

 

Shiro looked absolutely shocked, his beak parted and grey eyes wide. “Th-the legend?” He said incredulously. “The one that says that the Divine Beasts and the Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero while he attacked the Calamity? _That_ very same tale?”

 

“Correct.”

 

Shiro’s shoulders slumped, and he turned away from Lance to hide his expression. But Lance knew what he must be thinking: that the plan was crazy. It was crazy, and foolish, and too hopeful for any ounce luck they may or may not have. But, it was all they had.

 

With a soft sigh, Shiro turned back to face Lance again, his expression unreadable. “I don’t think—"

 

“This plan has worked in the past,” he interrupted firmly, clutching his hands tightly in front of him, “with less planning and less capable warriors. It **_will_ ** work again.”

 

Shiro was still for a moment, processing Lance’s words, before he stood up straight, looking every bit the leader of the Rito tribe that he was born to be. “Of course, your highness.” he said formally, and dipped his head in a sign of respect. After a moment, he raised his head again, meeting Lance’s gaze head on. “I will back you, and stand by your side in battle, should the need arise. You have my word.”

 

Lance dipped his head in turn, before turning on his heel and walking back towards Seraphim. Before mounting up, he glanced back towards Shiro, and said, “I’ll be holding you to that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to get the second chapter, **_2\. Champion Hunk's Song_** done as soon as possible to share it with you all! It will probably be the shortest of the chapters, but it will still be jam packed with lots of fun! Stay tuned!

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, thanks for reading, my loves! I hope you enjoyed the story I've lovingly named 'Beetles', and hope you'll continue on to reading the first fic in this series, [The Power of Faith](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11402112?view_full_work=true)!
> 
> And, as always, you can find me on [tumblr](http://winter-and-little-brunettes.tumblr.com/), [twitter](https://twitter.com/winternbrunett5), and [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/winterandlittlebrunettes/)! Come talk to me!


End file.
